It often starts in the doctor’s office or the emergency room. A patient has broken their leg and will be in pain for weeks. Another patient has had back surgery and is on their way home, but it will take time before they’re fully recovered. A third patient has returned for a consult about the […]
Healthcare Reform
Senate confirms former pharma exec Azar as Trump’s HHS chief
The Senate voted 55-43 today to approve president Donald Trump’s nominee for chief of the Dept. of Health and Human Services, Alex Azar. Azar is succeeding Tom Price, who was forced out after reports from Politico revealed he often used pricey charter jets on the taxpayer’s dime. Senate Republicans have argued that Azar, who previously worked as president of Eli […]
Senate panel approves HHS nominee Azar
The Senate finance committee has approved president Donald Trump’s nominee for chief of the Dept. of Health and Human Services, Alex Azar. The former drug company executive is expected to be confirmed by the full Senate. If confirmed, Azar will succeed Tom Price, who was forced out after reports from Politico revealed he often used pricey charter […]
Rebelling against high prices, hospitals form nonprofit generic drug company
A consortium made up of 300 hospitals – and counting – are taking a bold step to address high drug prices and shortages of essential medicines: they’re cutting out the pharma middleman and starting their own non-profit generic drug company. The move is a first of its kind, according to a report from The New York […]
Is tax reform good or bad for medical device companies?
Medical device companies and others in the healthcare sector stand to benefit from the tax reform Congress passed at the end of 2017, but the picture isn’t entirely rosy, according to a new report from S&P Global Ratings. In many ways, the report offers a corrective to the bullish statements coming from corporate CEOs such […]
At confirmation hearing for Trump’s HHS nominee, drug pricing takes center-stage
Alex Azar, the president’s nominee to head the Dept. of Health & Human Services, has nearly a decade of experience in the pharmaceutical industry – and that experience is either predictive of his inability to act on lowering drug prices or will serve him well as HHS chief, depending on who you ask. At Azar’s […]
7 top stories that mattered for medtech in 2017
The medtech industry saw its transformation accelerate in 2017: Whether it’s the roster of largest companies, business models or the regulatory environment, times are a-changing. Competition is also heating up in areas including diabetes care and robotic surgery. Here are seven stories that mattered for the medical device industry this year. Next>>
Report: Drugmakers may have ducked $1.3B in Medicaid rebates
Without calling out any drug companies by name, the U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services’ Office of Inspector General revealed this week that 10 potentially misclassified drugs may have resulted in $1.3 billion in lost rebates to Medicaid between 2012 and 2016. The issue of ducking rebates came to the public’s attention earlier this […]
US House proposes 5-year extension to medical device tax suspension
The US House of Representatives has proposed a five-year suspension to the medical device tax that would keep it from becoming active again next year, according to an AdvaMed press release posted today. The proposal comes from House Ways & Means Committee Chair Kevin Brady (R-Texas) and Reps. Erik Paulsen (R-Minn.) and Jackie Walorski (R-Ind.), […]
Is medtech behind the curve on value-based care?
Less than 60% of healthcare professionals think medical device brands meet their patient outcomes expectations – an important part of value-based care, according to a new survey from analytics platform company Vennli. “With the changes occurring in value-based healthcare model, healthcare providers are subject to more scrutiny than ever before. … Providers will put pressure on […]
CVS Health to buy Aetna in $69B merger
CVS Health (NYSE:CVS) plans to buy health insurer Aetna (NYSE:AET) in a $69 billion merger, according to a report from The New York Times. The deal comes as companies like Amazon (NSDQ:AMZN), which is reportedly trying to launch into the pharmacy business, are looking to change the way that consumers interact with the healthcare industry. Get the full story at our sister […]
